Downtown Jackson News
Capitol Street Renaissance
The Capitol Street Renaissance project is well underway. The project returns Capitol Street to two way traffic from Gallatin Street to State Street. The $10 million project calls for new lighting, signage, roundabouts, traffic signals, landscaping and sharrows (bike shared lanes) along the street.
The project began in November with the replacement water and sewer lines from Gallatin Street to Lamar Street. That phase, along with additional water and sewer upgrades to President Street, will be completed in June. The next two phases of the project will include the roadway project and the relocation of the garage ramps on the street with a projected starting date later this month and taking 18 or 20 months to complete.
The roadway project will include resurfacing the street and implementing new landscaping and sidewalk improvements as well as new lighting from Gallatin to Lamar. From Lamar to State Street, the road will be restriped. The intersections from Gallatin Street to State Street will have either new traffic signals or roundabouts.
The parking ramps for the Parking at Jackson Place garage on Capitol Street will be relocated to Farish Street and angled parking will be installed from Mill Street to the Parking at Jackson Place garage which is on the corner of Farish and Capitol Streets.
Please remember the businesses along Capitol Street will be open unless otherwise notified so please support them during the construction process.
Bills Offer Big Savings for State
Senate Bills 2472 and 2763 have been passed by the Senate’s Public Properties Committee and will be taken up by the full Senate. Senator David Blount authored both bills. Senate Bill 2472 authorizes the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) to act as the central leasing agent for all state agencies. At this time, individual agencies negotiate their leases. Senate Bill 2763 authorizes DFA, on behalf of the Department of Revenue, to purchase the Landmark Center in Downtown Jackson for the agency’s headquarters.
Senator Blount presented an analysis performed by Millsaps College’s Else School of Management in support of his bills. The study focused on lease cost comparisons within the metro area, office space allocation and efficiency and purchasing the Landmark Center in Downtown Jackson.
The authors of the study reported that the State of Mississippi would save $5 million annually by moving scattered agencies in the metro area to the Capitol Complex that encompasses Downtown Jackson. The study also recommends buying the Landmark Center and locating the Department of Revenue and other state agencies in the building. The State of Mississippi would save $30 million over a 20 year period if the Landmark Center was bought instead of leasing space at prevailing market rates.
Downtown Jackson Partners supports the two bills introduced by Senator Blount. Please read the Mississippi Business Journal’s editorial and view the study by the Else School of Management at Millsaps College.
2013 MS Blues Marathon
The 2013 Mississippi Blues Marathon and Half-Marathon is right around the corner on Saturday, January 5th. Come and support 3000 runners from 47 states and 10 countries as they descend on the streets of Downtown Jackson. Registration for the Marathon, Half-Marathon and Relay events are all sold out!
It's not just about the running either. The event is also a huge street party filled with enthusiastic supporters encouraging their friends and family to complete the races. You can watch professional runners tackle the course in about 2 hours, 30 minutes and you can watch the inspiring determination of the racers who finish the course near its 7-hour time limit. The annual Blues Crawl takes you to some of Jackson's favorite locales beginning at 7pm.
Some streets will be closed Downtown for the race. The initial street closures are as follows: Streets will close at midnight on Friday, January 4th, and will reopen at 2pm on Saturday. State, President and Congress Streets will be closed between Pearl and Amite Streets. South bound streets will all turn right at Amite and be routed around to Galatin. Capitol Street will be closed from Lamar Street to State Street.
Check back with us for updates as changes can be made closer to the race date. Visit the Mississippi Blues Marathon website for more information about the race. Come see for yourself why the Blues are alright!
A Day of Prayer
St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral, New Hope International, Fondren Presbyterian, Greater Mt. Calvary and Christ Tabernacle Churchesinvite you to join us for a Prayer Vigil for Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown Connecticut and the Children and Schools of Mississippi.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral will offer The Holy Eucharist with special prayers. The service begins at 12:05.
The New Life of the Iron Horse Grill
A Jackson-based group of investors announces the redevelopment of the Iron Horse Grill. This iconic Jackson landmark, which originally was the Armour Smokehouse built in 1906, housed the wildly popular Iron Horse Grill and has been abandoned since a fire in 1999.
The investors, led by Joseph Simpson of the Simpson Group, includes Jackson businessmen Jesse Simpson, John Luckett, Johnny Johnson, David Waddell, Andrew Jenkins and Mark McCormack. This group acquired the property in 2009, and the resulting development will include the Iron Horse Grill restaurant and a live music venue in a 12,000 square foot facility. The building will also house the Mississippi Music Experience, which is a collection of Mississippi Music Hall of Fame memorabilia collected by Dr. Jim Brewer as well as a retail store featuring items from the Mississippi Blues Trail.
With the ongoing revitalization of Downtown Jackson, Simpson explains "We expect this project to help further solidify that Downtown Jackson is in a revival and has a bright future. Downtown must be a center for business and development, and we must all come together to keep it healthy. With the tourism goals for our development, it makes sense for the Iron Horse to be located in the heart of Downtown Jackson."
MuniStrategies, in conjunction with Trustmark National Bank in Jackson, who served as the lead investor, spearheaded the $8 million investment. MuniStrategies is a Mississippi-based New Markets allocatee that provides federal and state tax credit incentives to help finance this project. This investment utilized $4.5M in MuniStrategies federal New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation along with federal historic tax credit incentives and Mississippi NMTC incentives provided through the Mississippi Development Authority. Trustmark provided the senior debt along with the tax credit equity and the Jackson Redevelopment Authority provided Urban Renewal Bonds in support of the project. A total of 120 jobs are expected to be created. At least $3 million in annual income is projected for the restaurant with the City of Jackson gaining over $200,000 in tax revenue.
“This development means so much to the city of Jackson.” says Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson. “It provides a tremendous tie-in between the core of downtown and projects west of the rail line extending to the campus of Jackson State University.”
Third District Congressman Gregg Harper stated, “So many Mississippians have such fond memories of this landmark establishment. Using Federal New Markets Tax Credits in support of this project is the sort of support that government can provide to help rebuild communities and develop jobs for its residents.”
Ben Allen, President of Downtown Jackson Partners, stated “I cannot overstate the impact this will have on Jackson. To have this come back to life is a major triumph. This is just another sign of the momentum in downtown and it really ties together the developments on the west end of our community.”
A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for Monday, December 10, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at the site on 320 West Pearl Street. Several local, state and federal officials are scheduled to attend. Attendees will be able learn more about the development plans.
A groundbreaking is scheduled for December 10th at 10:30am at the site. During the ceremony, the group will be announcing this year's inductees into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. The project is scheduled to be completed in late summer 2013.
Vision 2022/One Voice
ONE REGION, ONE VISION, ONE VOICE
Oct. 9, 2012 The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership unveiled the Vision 2022/One Voice 10-year long range economic plan for the region today at the Trustmark Meeting Room of the Jackson Convention Center.
Vision 2022/One Voice is the bold, multi-year plan to transform the Greater Jackson Region into a destination community attracting businesses, families, and tourists for its quality of life “place” and economic opportunity.
“Vision 2022 is a bold plan to transform the Jackson metro area into one of the most talked about and desirable communities in this region of the country,” said Mayo Flynt, GJCP 2012 Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The process to create the new Vision 2022 Plan has been inclusive, comprehensive, and thorough. A tremendous amount of research about the region was married with input from thousands of citizens and a very involved strong Steering Committee. The result is a powerful roadmap for the Jackson Region with clear benchmarks and measures of success.
Business and Community leaders spoke on the 10 Key Initiatives in Vision 2022 which includes: Health Care, Regional Infrastructure, Aerospace, Lake Development, Regional Marketing, Core City, Regional Trails System, “Talent” Attraction, Arts and Culture and Education.
The Atlanta-based consulting firm, Market Street Services, guided the plan which is a holistic approach based on people, place and prosperity.
“The planning process reached out to the entire regional community to gain insight on the best direction,” said Duane O’Neill, President of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership. “We accomplished this by multiple meetings and community surveys.
According to Socrates Garrett, GJCP 2013 Chairman of the Board, “Our surrounding partners in both Madison and Rankin counties as well as Hinds County expressed the need to support the region.
“There is less infighting and more cooperation than any time in our history,” he said. “The central theme seems to be the need for a healthy Jackson to support continued growth in the region. There are different goals for each partner and the need to secure growth through improving the infrastructure and quality of life issues. You cannot drive the train before you lay the tracks.”
These 10 Initiatives are “game changers” for the region, according to O’Neill.
“Taken together they unlock a massive positive step forward for Jackson and the Region. Each is vital and important; they leverage and compliment each other,” he said.
Major efforts have already begun on one of the key initiatives of the plan which is Lake Development. To help expedite some of the needed research done on this project, the GJCP presented a $200,000 check to the Pearl River Vision Foundation at the conclusion of the unveiling.
The Full Vision 2022/One Voice Plan will be available at www.greaterjacksonpartnership.com
New Season, New Fun!
This fall season is abuzz with excitement! October is filled to the brim with events for everyone. Whether you are an aspiring foodie, a history enthusiast or a marathon runner, we have an event for you. Bring the family and enjoy this season’s bountiful harvest of events. See you Downtown!
Jackson Restaurant Week
SUN SEP 30 – SAT OCT 6 | PARTICIPATING DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS
Mississippi State Fair
WED OCT 3 – SUN OCT 14 | MISSISSIPPI FAIRGROUNDS
Town Creek Arts Festival
SAT | OCT 6 | 10AM – 10PM | MS MUSEUM OF ART—ART GARDEN
Jactoberfest
FRI | OCT 19 | 11AM-11PM | CONGRESS ST
Purple Dress Run
THU | OCT 25 | 6PM | RACE BEGINS AT JACO’S TACOS
Present Meets Past
THU | OCT 25 | 5PM – 8PM | OLD CAPITOL MUSEUM
Fork & Corks
SUN | OCT 28 | 4PM – 6PM | MISSISSIPPI FARMERS MARKET
Bruno’s Adobo
There is a new restaurant in town! That’s right, Adobo has officially opened in the ground level of the Standard Life. Executive Chef and owner Luie Bruno’s menu features a wide variety of healthy options that are a unique twist on Latin and Caribbean cuisine. Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or eating gluten free there are endless options on their menu. Being a strong believer in the community, Adobo uses local and hormone free products. Looking for something fast? Stop by and grab any of their constantly changing to-go meals.
Adobo is Mississippi’s first certified green restaurant. Everything they use is recycled from the restaurant decor and cups to up-cycled t-shirts from Gateway Rescue Mission. Interested in buying an Adobo t-shirt? If you bring 5 t-shirts to donate then you will walk out with a free Adobo t-shirt. Stop by anytime for a bite to eat.
Adobo:
127 S. Roach Street
Contact: 601-944-9501
Restaurant Hours:
Monday – Friday 11am – 6:30pm
Mississippi Museum of Art awarded $1 million grant
The Mississippi Museum of Art (the Museum) is the proud recipient of a $1 million grant from The Kresge Foundation (the Foundation) through their Institutional Capitalization Facility Investments and Building Reserves initiative. The Kresge Foundation’s Arts and Culture Team received 372 applications from 44 states requesting over $263 million, and awarded nine grants. The Museum was selected after a rigorous and comprehensive application process of nearly two years.
This particular program awards funds for facility renovation and repair projects undertaken by arts and cultural organizations. In 2005, Kresge awarded the Museum close to $1 million to support the renovation of the former Mississippi Arts Pavilion, which now serves as the Museum’s home. This latest grant affords the Museum a “cushion” on which to fall back when unexpected yet inevitable major maintenance expenses are incurred.
“Drawing on our historical expertise as a funder of arts and cultural facilities, we want to help arts and cultural organizations properly maintain these important physical assets,” voiced a representative of The Kresge Foundation. “In doing so, we are assisting organizations as they build financial reserves to meet the short and long-term operating expenses associated with maintaining their buildings.”
“We are overwhelmed and indeed grateful to these and all our funders for the trust they have placed in the Museum,” said Director Betsy Bradley. “Our goal is to not only maintain that trust but also serve as responsible and diligent stewards of it,” added Bradley.
The Kresge Foundation is a $3 billion private, national foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations working in its seven program areas: Arts and Culture, Community Development, Detroit, Education, the Environment, Health, and Human Services. In 2011, the Board of Trustees approved 356 awards totaling $170 million; $140 million was paid out to grantees over the course of the year. For more information, visit kresge.org.
The Mississippi Museum of Art’s mission is to “engage Mississippians in the visual arts.” The Museum is located at 380 South Lamar Street in Jackson. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday, noon to 5 PM. The Museum is closed Monday. For more information about the Mississippi Museum of Art’s exhibitions, programs, and special events, please call 601-960-1515 or 1-866-VIEW ART (843-9278), or visit http://www.msmuseumart.org.
The Mississippi Museum of Art and its programs are sponsored in part by the city of Jackson and the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. Support is also provided in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Palette Café by Viking welcomes new Executive Chef
The Mississippi Museum of Art is at it again. It is both an honor and a privilege for them to announce their new Executive Chef at The Palette Café by Viking, Louis LaRose. In addition to pleasing guests with his unique menu items in the café, Louis also takes charge of catering the extensive schedule of private and public events at the Museum.
The food of Louis LaRose marries the classic French and Southern cuisines of his childhood with the Caribbean and Spanish flavors that he came to know and love. His menus reflect the diversity of his experience and combine cooking styles and ingredients in new and ingenious ways. At the Museum, Louis has found an ideal home for his talents and creativity. The Palette Café‘s new menu is sure to please; Treat yourself to lunch today.
Restaurant:
The Palette Cafe by Viking
380 South Lamar Street
Contact: (601) 965-9900
Restaurant Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 11am-2pm
Coffee served 10am
Website:
http://www.msmuseumart.org/palette.html
Menu:
http://www.msmuseumart.org/assets/templates/mma/pdf/palette%20menu%20july%2012.pdf